Modern Liberalism- Fascism with a smile?

Benito Mussolini was the socialist leader of Italy when he instituted fascism in Italy. His program included progressive income tax, a minimum wage, forming secular state schools, and stripping the upper classes of their wealth by seizing land holdings.

The Nazis were leftists who emulated Mussolini’s fascism. They also wanted to drive Christianity from public life and were very much opposed to the capitalist system. Instead of controlling the means of production as the communists had, they choose to control industry and the private sector through regulation. They, like the Italian fascists looked to modernize and secularize society. Both looked to an all-powerful state as the vehicle to bring about the “change” they sought.

Today’s Leftists look to the supposed racism and the militaristic sentiments of the right to justify their fascist label. But racism or anti-Antisemitism has little in common with those on right, but if you looked at communist Russia, it was very anti-Semitic. Leftists often welcomed the war economy as a means to shape and mobilize society. Conservatives, by enlarge large are deeply suspicious of such big government, favor traditional Christian morality, and the free markets

Fascist economic programs bear a close resemblance to today’s liberal agenda. American Progressives of the early 20th century looked to Mussolini’s fascist policies as something to emulate. Many leading liberal progressives such as George Bernard Shaw, H.G Wells, Woodrow Wilson and FDR looked very favorably to many fascist policies and American progressives grew impatient with the constitution constraints of American government.

FDR used the great depression as a pretext to organize society to bring about war socialism. The many agencies created under FDR enacted policy resembling fascist economies. It was only the WW2 atrocities that caused fascism to fall out of favor with the left.

The leftist youth movement of the 1960’s saw many parallels to fascist movements. Traditional values were held in contempt, youthfulness and violence were exalted. The left sought to use the power of state to overthrow tradition. Its cohorts went about it with the zeal of a religious crusade, with a self righteous detain for the christian values of their fathers, seeing the free market supported by an outdated constitutionally limited government, to be a source of great evil and injustice.

Comments

No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites.

sending

adagio4639 2 years agofrom Brattleboro Vermont

"Benito Mussolini was the socialist leader of Italy when he instituted fascism in Italy."

That's a false statement. Although it's true that Mussolini was at one time a socialist, he rejected socialism and created fascism in Italy and in the process purged the country of all the socialists and anything have to do with socialism. Mussolini was quite the conservative, and as Hayek pointed out in his essay "Why I'm not a Conservative" "I sometimes feel that the most conspicuous attribute of liberalism that distinguishes it as much from conservatism as from socialism is the view that moral beliefs concerning matters of conduct which do not directly interfere with the protected sphere of other persons do not

justify coercion. This may also explain why it seems to be so much easier for the repentant socialist to find a new spiritual home in the conservative fold than in the liberal."

Mussolini, the repentant socialist found a new home in the conservative ideology of Fascism. He purged the socialists from Italy. They were either jailed or executed. He was no longer a socialist and had nothing but contempt and hatred for them. So the very opening sentence of your Hub is a false premise.

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 4 years agofrom upstate, NY

Sanxuary- Thanks for your comments but I have to disagree.

The truth is, regardless of what the tax rates are; those in the higher tax brackets have been paying roughly the same percentage of their income since the 1950’s. Those who own shares in most corporations have their dividends and capital gains double taxed to an effective rate of 35%.

A fascist economy is the collusion of corporations and the government. This collusion is brought about by a government hat intervenes in the private section with excessive regulation, subsidies, bailouts, and outright buying out of private corporations. This is the type of intervention supported most often by liberals and it creates an environment conducive to corruption. Historically speaking The well-connected corporations often write the very regulations that are supposed to be keeping them in line and of course these regulations favor them at the expense of everyone else.

Sanxuary 4 years ago

Wow I would not have a clue where to start with this play on words. Technically any form of Government can become fascist in its ideology. Still I stay attuned to the facts. A Government that is elected by Corporations but is responsible for balancing the budget. Its faces 9 years of low taxes on the wealthy and a Corporate tax rate of 35 percent verses Corporations who our lucky to pay 15 percent in the last 20 or more years. In the mean time anyone non-corporate and not multi national is paying in full for all infrastructure. This has occurred at the same time Globalization and so called free trade has eliminated private business and the middle class. What we have is a big fit and a bold attempt to make everyone suffer to turn public favour to meet their objectives. All you poor people out there are not going to get any better off, so kill the money factor and embrace principals instead. You will not get this truth on television because we know who owns them and the money for re-election. We know what the right answers our, the question is how do we bring any change to tip this back to the people. Like ants there is more of us in the Colony then them.

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 5 years agofrom upstate, NY

Glorthoron-When you say Mussolini migrated to the right, do you mean because he changed his emphasis from socialism which is an international movement to National Socialism which is a national socialist movement. I may be wrong but I see National Socialism or fascism having more in common with left wing collectivism that right wing conservatism. When I say conservatism I’m referring movement of small government, free markets, a respect for the constitutional limits of government and an emphasis on self-rule. I can’t see this as having much in common with fascism because fascism requires of government of nearly limitless power, tightly controlled markets and as the fascists under Mussolini used to say- (everything for the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state).

The German Weapons Act of 1938 required highly regulated and oppressively enforced restrictions on defensive weapons. The Nazi government was arbitrarily allowed to prevent its citizens from purchasing Guns and ammunition. One of the results of this law was to prevent the Jews from owning firearms for their own protection.

As far as the conservative value of a strong defense or the belief in helping to liberate other nations from tyranny, I don’t see this as having much in common an authoritarian militaristic government. The nationalism of the Nazi’s involved the progressive leftist theory of racial supremacy along with the oppression and violent overthrow of its peaceful neighbors. I don’t see any conservative right wing values in this, conservatives believe in American values and patriotism.

Margaret Sanger an American Socialist and founder of Planned Parenthood strongly believed as the Nazi’s did, in abortions as a form of eugenics to weed out inferior peoples. In this nation, abortions have served to eliminate larger proportions of the poor and minority groups than any other group.

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 5 years agofrom upstate, NY

Glorthoron- Many people know, it’s a common smear tactic to mislabel ones political opponents, even if those opponents are of similar political affiliates. Joseph Stalin labeled Leon Trotsky a fascist and had him assassinated because he was threatened by his brand of communism .Family feuds are often the nastiest! I guess you could say that relative to communism, fascism is somewhat to the right because the government doesn’t directly control the means of production but on a whole Fascism is much more closely associated with the left. Hitler and the fascist despised the free markets, considering it a corrupting influence on society. He also shunned individual liberties and saw the state as supreme over the individual. Hitler would eliminate anyone he considered a threat to his own power including fellow Nazi’s.

glorthoron 5 years ago

I am apalled at how ignorant some people are to history and what the Nazis/Fasists really are.

Why is it that for the first 50-60 years after the second world war, historians and political scientists around the world who experienced Fascism and Nazism first hand classified these two very similar political parties as being extreme right winged (in fact, both Hitler and Mussolini declared themselves right wing)? Now we have a bunch of extremely right winged political scientists trying to rewrite history saying that Nazism and Fascism are left wing concepts. Do people forget so easily? Do they forget that it was the socialists from around the world who travelled to Spain to fight in support of the republic against the fasicsts? Do they forget that Hitler rounded up all the liberals, leftists, communists, and socialists and had them put in concentration camps? Do they forget that both Hitler and Mousallini had the support of the right wing financers in Germany and Italy?

That being said, I don't think right wing leaning people are any more evil than left wing leaners. But both sides have their extremists. And both sides have to realise that. Otherwise, these extremists will take control again like they did in the 30s.

In regards to health care being a right: Well, I guess that depends on where you live. Here in Canada health care is a right, not a privalege. And I suggest that those who oppose health care in the U.S.A. ask themselves whether or not denying the least of your brothers care for their health is a Christian thing to do.

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 5 years agofrom upstate, NY

molometer-Thank you for your gracious comments! I really need to improve this Hub by making clear that I'm not saying that liberals are fascists. Its true that the rich have been robbing the poor since the beginning of time and the powerful have also abused weak because its human nature. Its the awareness of our flawed human nature that the US founding fathers created the separation of powers in The US Constitution. The constitution restrained government from the abuse of power inheritant in big government liberalism and socialism.- Regards WBA

molometer 5 years ago

Hey what a great hub, very interesting. looks like you stirred up a whole debate here. I would like to point out that the industrial revolution that started in England in the 1750's had been preceded by an agricultural revolution where the peasantry were thrown off the land of their fathers because some local a squire/landlord had the money to put a fence around the common lands (Enclosure acts) This led to the masses of previous smallholders migrating to the cities London Birmingham etc in search of work. So providing a ready source of cheap labour to the new mill owners. The point is the rich have been robbing the poor since time began it's just that we are all fully aware of it now and I guess wondering why we are still letting it happen? Check what's happening in the Arab countries those Sheiks days are numbered?

I will be reading more of your writing. Thanks. Voted up UI

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 5 years agofrom upstate, NY

Pandoran-

Let me clarify my position on the American left, I’m not calling them Fascist’s, I’m merely pointing out that the policies that they advocate are much closer to fascist policies than the limited government policies of conservatives.

I agree that the left wants to regulate industry and secularize society. As far as tax on wealth, I believe wealth redistribution to be unconstitutional and somewhat immoral.

I believe the role of government to secure the God given inalienable rights and freedoms of the citizens. The rights protected are God given and not given by the government. The government often confiscates the property of one citizen to buy the vote of another. This is why healthcare cannot be a right because in order to guarantee a certain level of health care, ultimately the government must forcibly take the property of one citizen to redistribute to another citizen. This I believe is legalized theft.

You mentioned that that we need to be protected from exploitation in the marketplace because were not a pure democracy. But what is your solution; have the government step in to equalize things? What makes you think the government can be trusted with such an awesome responsibility, they have less accountability and more power over private citizens than almost any businessman? The government can enforce their policies by force of arms, corporations for the most part must provide people with a quality service or product to exist, the marketplace provides a strong structure of accountability.-Regards and blessings-WBA

Pandoran 5 years ago

This is pure rhetoric, and I am offended by the direct use of facts to miss lead perception.

" Everything changes with the gradual introduction of private property." Originally, Locke supposed, " the earth and everything on it belongs to all of us in common; among perfectly equal inhabitants, all have the same right to make use of whatever they find and can use. The only exception to this rule is that each of us has an exclusive right to her/his own body and its actions. But applying these actions to natural objects by mixing our labor with them, Locke argued, provides a clear means for appropriating them as an extension of our own personal property. (2nd Treatise §27) Since our bodies and their movements are our own, whenever we use our own effort to improve the natural world—the resulting products belong to us as well." John Locke

Please note the word Labor. This will be important later.

My interpretation of your above statements goes as follows.

1. Left wing politics advocate Modern Secular society.

2. The left wing party wants to regulate industry.

3. A Tax on Wealth is unfair.

4. Public Education is unhealthy.

5. There is no such thing as Racism.

6. FDR was a fascist.

7. 1960’s activism equals Fascism.

The Industrial Revolution redefined how mankind defined labor and property. The result is the development of the present corporate, Factious Identity. I.E. a logo is classified legally as a person and entitled to human rights. In theory, in a true democracy, the labor force of an industry would be protected from corruption and greed. This can be applied to protecting the property owner, corporation , or business as will. It should be balanced. Its not always so. There should be protection from negative transactions. This should apply to both sides of this equation.

So here is the rub; the person whether real or fictionalized needs to be protected from abuses.How do you do that? Does the wealth of America truly believe in survival of the fittest? Apparently not. I stopped paying attention to the slogans a long time ago. This debate, true, has been used to establish fascist regimes; however in America I don't think that is the case. I think the control of capital creates despotism. The control of capital makes policy. " War is a Racket "

In America I perceive capital as being the fascist regime. Really people, how is it possible for the private sector the wealth of America to profit in an economic depression? How is it that there is a 12% unemployment rate and the wealth of America continue to make record profit? Too big to fail? I don't think it's, a right or left wing agenda. I think religious dogma is a distraction. I do not believe it is unpatriotic to separate my religious belief from a debate.I know that not everyone believes in the same god or in god. I acknowledge it and except there humanity in the same stride, and I feel that the only tool to get to true consensus is logic. So why try to make it sound as if these things are the antithesis of a productive society?

Wake up. Without descent, there would not be an America. Without progress there would not be equality. Here in affect your saying that Tax is an attack on freedom. This too is a spin on logic. Having public schools and libraries is not a fascist doctrine. It is an improvement in the quality of life for all citizens.

I wonder if Cosimo Medici felt that way if, we would have had Da Vinci.

In closing let me say this there is a conflict between wealth and labor as old as civilization itself. Labor and wealth are interdependent: without labor the Great Pyramids of Egypt couldn't have been constructed, moreover those worker were never freemen in the truest since; and neither are we.

In today's America a worker will most likely retire into a quality of living much lower then when they started their career. There is something wrong with that. Laborers are not looking for entitlement, their seeking equality. They and many of use, are seeking a world were we do not have to sacrifice so much too gain so little.

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 5 years agofrom upstate, NY

James-

Thank you so much for stopping by and for your gracious comments! I forgot to clarify that I'm not calling liberals Nazi's, i'm just pointing out how much closer their idealogy is to fascism than is conservatism.

The more I think about modern liberalism the more I believe that it very closely resembles fascism in its attitudes , beliefs and actions. I guess that's pretty insulting to a liberal but the truth has to be told. Regards-WBA

James A Watkins 5 years agofrom Chicago

Fantastic! Finally, a person who clearly sees what is happening! :)

Thank you for publishing this needful article. It is wonderfully made. It irks me when imbeciles try to place Hitler and the Fascists on the "right." That's because all the other villains are already lined up on the left. But, as you obviously see, Hitler and the fascists belong on the left. The left means government control and an anti-Christ atmosphere. The right loves God and very limited government. You hit the nail on the head. I am quite impressed!

I agree wih Ms.Dee only an alarm has been sounded in the reading of Revelations. Be Blessed!

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 6 years agofrom upstate, NY

TeaPartyCrasher-- OK I'll read some of your stuff as soon as I can get to it!

TeaPartyCrasher 6 years agofrom Camp Hill, PA

wba:

I did read this.

Sounds like the same stuff any other person who's listening to the corporate mouthpieces of the 'Tea Party' like Beck and Limbaugh would say.

Someone once said that fasicsm will come to America on an American flag carried on a cross. It may also be paid for with corporate dollars.

Go through my hubs and you'll see what I mean.

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 6 years agofrom upstate, NY

TeaPartyCrasher-- There no denying that there are those on the right who support corporatist policies while hypocritically espousing conservative values. But I see the big government policies of the left as being more conducive to the collusion of big business and government.

Here is a quote from heritage.org--

"In program after program, the Obama administration has declared its concern for the poor or oppressed, yet has actually sided with the rich and the powerful. The TARP program aided the big banks. The economic stimulus went mainly to state governments and civil servants. The bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler favored entrenched unions. Obamacare favors large insurance companies. New financial regulations favor the big banks.

Though many Americans undoubtedly still identify the Republican Party with big business, it is the liberal Democrats who now receive the most support from interests we describe as “big”: Big business, big labor, the establishment media and Wall Street. And program after program is designed to repay that support with special favors."

TeaPartyCrasher 6 years agofrom Camp Hill, PA

wba:

The same can be said about what people who rely on corproate mouthpieces say about those who challenge the political power of corps and their CEO's. Only they're 'socilaists'

Much like you're doing!

PS. I've always seen Fascism as a kind of 'Corporate State'--which is also what many on the American Right seem to want. Look through my hubs and you'll get it--or will 'ya.

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 6 years agofrom upstate, NY

Ms Dee-- Your so right,the secular left is trying to silence the Christian and conservative voice in this country. If you oppose their agenda your a homophobe, racist or a dangerous radical, its the lefts way of telling you to shut up.

Deidre Shelden 6 years agofrom Texas, USA

Very interesting parallels to today! The alarm needs to be sounded, as you have done. So many, it seems, are still sleeping and being taken unaware.

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 6 years agofrom upstate, NY

breakfastpop -- The government is growing at an unprecedented rate. The new move left in this country is like a wolf in sheeps clothing

Author

wba108@yahoo.com 6 years agofrom upstate, NY

Binaya.Ghimire-- The left usually comes and promises power to the people when in reality its just replacing the current system good or bad, with new masters often more oppressive.

breakfastpop 6 years ago

Interesting piece of writing. The similarities to what is happening now are frightening.

Binaya.Ghimire 6 years ago

Interesting hub. I'm reading this hub at a time when leftist and even Fascist movement is burgeoning in Nepal